It took a valiant effort on Marlene's part to pull away from Sirius' lips. If she was being honest she would have much preferred to spend the day in that little alcove with his hands around her waist and tongue sliding against hers. Seeing him look at her the way he had when she did pull away, proved to make it a miracle that she hadn't pulled him back to her.

Breathe.

He'd not left her side since she came screaming hysterically into the Royal corridor. He had gone so far as to insist on sleeping in her sitting room. Marlene had needed to bite back her initial response that he'd have no bed and perhaps he could just share hers…

She had to admit that Sirius - Sir Sirius - sleeping in her sitting room was the only thing that stilled her frantic heart. And when she awoke from the nightmares of running from loud menacing footsteps, opening her door and seeing the Knight sleeping on the bench in her sitting room quieted the feelings of panic and allowed her to return to her rest.

He had even been reluctant to leave her in the care of the Lady McGonagall to accompany His Majesty to attend to the armies for a few hours, and Marlene felt a small amount of trepidation at it herself. But the Lady McGonagall was firm that they would be fine, and James posted two guards at the door, and reluctantly Sir Sirius followed him.

"Trouble focusing my dear?" Lady McGonagall's voice intruded on Marlene's thoughts.

"I suppose so," Marlene sighed and attempted to re-apply herself to the text at hand.

"Your Grace," Lady McGonagall set aside her papers. "I was most impressed to hear of your ordeal with the knave Crouch. I trust you've felt more secure with the good Sir Sirius these past few days?"

"Thank you, my Lady," Marlene smiled over at her, "and yes the good Knight has been instrumental to my feelings of safety."

"Sir Sirius is far more than he receives credit for, but alas there are things about ourselves that we can never truly separate from." Lady McGonagall sighed with a far-off look in her eyes. Marlene couldn't help but wonder what the Chief Minister was referring to, but she decided it was best to listen closely rather than to pry. "I believe that this has been a good lesson for us all. Not everyone in this Court is as they seem. We had been alerted that there was a spy in our midst and I do believe that our familiarity with the members of this Court has blinded us to seeing suspicious activity when it occurs." She sighed and stood, walking slowly around her study. "You have the benefit of fresh eyes, Your Grace. I ask that you take care to use them wisely. His Majesty and I have agreed that from this point forward if you bring suspicion to us, we will trust your judgment."

She turned and looked pointedly at Marlene, "Do you understand, Your Grace?"

Marlene straightened in her seat, "I do, Lady McGonagall."

Lady McGonagall looked like she would say more but the door opened and King James entered with Sir Sirius.

"See, I told you that she would be fine!" James smirked at Sirius who rolled his eyes.

"Forgive my doubting, Your Majesty."

Lady McGonagall chuckled, "Your concern only encourages the rumors, Sir."

"And ensures her Grace's safety," Sir Sirius answered stiffly.

"Your Majesty," Marlene tried to hide the fatigue in her voice. "I do hope you'll excuse me this evening. I would much prefer to have my dinner in my rooms if your Majesty will give me leave to do so, and if you can part with your dear Knight for the evening, that is."

James nodded, "Of course, Cousin, I'll send a guard for Lady Emmeline and she can arrange for you and Sirius to dine in your rooms."

"Off you go then," Lady McGonagall smiled encouragingly at her. "I'll see you on the morrow."

Sir Sirius walked to her, helped her out of her chair and took her arm. Marlene wasn't prepared for how his hand on her arm made her heart take flight.

Breathe.

"Shall we, Your Grace?" Sir Sirius looked down at her expectantly and Marlene realized she hadn't moved since he had taken her arm.

"Oh, yes," she tried to right her frame of mind but it was incredibly difficult with how close Sirius - Sir Sirius - was to her and how his arm wrapped around hers and suddenly she was replaying their display from that morning.

"Get some rest, Marly," James walked up to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "And remember, you're safe. Sirius is my absolute best, nothing can touch you now."

Nothing except his charm. She thought as she nodded and forced her feet to move. She had to regain control of her faculties, the members of the Council would certainly blame this instance on her recent attack, but that would only get her through the next week at most.

"Are you feeling well, Your Grace? You're awfully quiet." Sir Sirius' face was formal but his voice was lighter, more like the version of him that Marlene felt was actually him.

She couldn't keep the smile off her face at the sound of it.

"I suppose I'm just a bit fatigued, I haven't been able to sleep through the night since that dreadful day." She turned to look up at him and got lost in his eyes.

"I promise Princess, nothing will harm you now." His eyes bore into hers and she had to remember that reaching up and kissing him was not a prudent choice at the moment.

"Thank you, Sirius," she said it quietly and her heart skipped a beat at how he looked at her.

"Your Grace, Sir," Lady Emmeline's voice startled Marlene from her staring.

"Lady Emmeline," Marlene smiled warmly at her.

Emmeline curtsied, "Your meals are in your sitting room. Is there anything else you require for the evening?"

A thought occurred to Marlene, "Would you send for a cot or a bed of some such to be brought up for Sir Sirius? So he isn't forced to continue sleeping on the furniture."

"Of course, Your Grace," Emmeline curtsied before heading down the corridor.

"You didn't have to do that, Princess." Sirius pushed open the door to her quarters.

"No, I didn't," she smiled up at him, trying not to laugh at her initial thought of inviting him into her bed.

"What are you playing?" He smirked down at her.

Marlene realized she had dropped her mask a moment too late. So much for no one living knowing what she really looked like when she wore a genuine smile. But the damage was done.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." She sat down as he pulled out her chair.

Sirius shook his head as he took the seat across from her, "You've obviously thought of something funny. Do you care to share or are you going to make me sit here and wonder if it's me you're laughing at?"

Marlene laughed, "It's not you, I, I was laughing at my initial thought to your comment was all." She tried to busy herself with her dinner, but Sirius was apparently on a mission to find out what was so funny, and he attacked with full charm. She should have raised the white flag to begin with.

"My comment was you didn't need to send for a more proper bed. That's hardly a clue, Your Grace." He leaned across the table and Marlene averted her eyes. She barely had control of her blush, and if she looked at him she was sure she'd lose any semblance of a strong and well-trained princess and look like a naive serving maid.

"I didn't say it was a clue," she focused on her food.

Then he parried and went for the point. He brushed a hand against her hand and like a fool Marlene looked up. His smirk was proof that he knew he was winning and Marlene couldn't seem to look away.

"So what was so funny that you're worried to share it?" She could have sworn his voice had lowered and it was doing things to her mind that were both terrifying and addictive at the same time.

Breathe.

She straightened, trying to salvage anything out of her embarrassing behavior.

"Simply that I could have invited you to share my bed instead of sending for one and then the whole Court would think Lockhart's rumors from this morning tame." She smirked at him. He may have won the battle, but she'd at least gone down with a fight.

He smiled at her, a genuine smile and her heart nearly gave way. Perhaps she hadn't put up as much of a fight as she hoped.

"I doubt your bed would be large enough to accommodate my great stature, Your Grace."

"Or your inflated ego, according to my cousin." She smiled at the eye roll she earned from that comment.

"James - His Majesty, had the misfortune of knowing me in my youth. I doubt I will ever live that down in his eyes."

"Does your family live nearby? You're very lucky to have been able to grow up with James. I was devastated when Father told me we couldn't visit anymore."

"What were your parents like?" Sirius ignored her question, but he'd asked about the two most important people in her life, and for the first time since they'd passed, she wanted to talk about them, or maybe she just wanted to talk about them with Sirius...

"Father and Mother were everything to me. Father used to insist there was no greater Lady in the kingdom than I. He doted on me endlessly, he loved to spoil me with pretty things, he always got me the best tutors he could find, made sure I had everything I could ever need, taught me how to ride a horse." Marlene smiled to herself. "I think it broke his heart as much as it broke mine to have to keep me in our castle after the robbers started hitting Nobles when they traveled." Marlene sighed and looked down at her food. "Mother was my hero. She could make anything happen with just a few words. She mastered the art of Court, and she used to call me her greatest pupil. She told me a few months before the plague that she was going to arrange for us to come to Court and find me a suitable husband."

Sirius coughed a laugh. "Forgive me," he said as she looked up sharply, "I just can't imagine you taking well to an arranged marriage."

"It would have been my arrangement," she smirked at him. "Mother and I would have found our pick and then it would have only taken a few well-placed words, suggestions here and there, and in probably a week I would have been betrothed to my pick.

"That's why you hate them all so much," he held her gaze. "You hate all the suitors because this isn't the way you wanted it to happen."

Every ounce of the Princess in Marlene told her to look away, but she couldn't manage to make herself. "I'm rather fond of my faux suitor," she said quietly.

The air was suddenly very thick and Marlene couldn't think straight. But she was aware of her hand sliding across the table and as her fingers touched Sirius' a sharp rap sounded at the door and the pair jumped apart.

Sirius stood and opened the door for the servants to bring in the cot that Marlene had summoned and the two of them quickly rebuilt their masks.

"I think I'll retire," she said as Sirius set his pillows the way he preferred.

"Sleep well, Your Grace," he bowed to her as the servants finished rearranging her furniture to accommodate the new item.

"You as well, Sir Knight."

Shutting the door to her bedroom seemed to help clear some of the fog she'd been walking in. And that brought on the gnawing feeling in Marlene's gut. She needed to stop - now!

Sirius - Sir Sirius - was a low born knight. He was not high enough in the nobility to hope to be a proper husband to her. Even when their Majesties produced an heir and she was no longer the heiress presumptive, she was born into too high a station to be able to have any lasting relationship with him. The gossiping at Court now was harmless. When it came time for her to marry, James would simply challenge anyone who questioned her honor, and no one would dare accept that challenge.

But she was becoming attached, woefully attached to her protector. She shouldn't have kissed him and she couldn't believe her own lies that the only reason she'd done it was to push off her suitors. She had wanted to kiss him since she realized he was the one who had calmed her after her attack. He'd held her while she cried as she'd never been held before, and it had been when she was incapable of acting at all like a princess. He'd assured her that she was entitled to those tears, that a Lady should never be required to show such strength, and he had pledged to keep her safe. She'd found herself fighting her first impulse to kiss him after that. And she was even surprised herself that she'd made it three days before coming up with a semi-plausible excuse to kiss him.

Those were all very dreadful thoughts though, and Marlene knew she'd only bring the nightmares faster if she didn't calm down.

The image that finally calmed her frantic mind was the look Sirius gave her as she pulled back after kissing him, and it was the image she chose to focus on as she drifted into a fitful sleep.